Serenity is Contagious

With everything going on in our world today, it is easy to focus on our suffering. So many people are suffering, and so many people feel trapped and hopeless. We can focus on the negative and get caught up in a cycle of doom and gloom, or we can do the latter. One of my favorite words of wisdom offered in the Yoga Sutras is:

“We are not going to change the whole world, but we can change ourselves and feel free as birds. We can be serene even in the midst of calamities and, by our serenity, make others more tranquil. Serenity is contagious. If we smile at someone, he or she will smile back. And a smile costs nothing. We should plague everyone with joy. If we are to die in a minute, why not die happily, laughing? (136-137)”
― Swami Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras

Everything is Interconnected. Nothing will ever be perfect. And what is perfection anyway? Take a moment this weekend to stop and take a break. Give your mind a break. And then re-enter the day smiling.